San Francisco Giants: 5 Things We Learned from the Debut of 'The Franchise'

Debuting on Showtime earlier this year, "The Franchise" is a short reality series that follows the San Francisco Giants throughout the 2011 season.

The first episode is absolutely fantastic and can be watched for free on the San Francisco Giants homepage.

The show gives an in—depth look at quite a few players, and shares information that most the of the general public wouldn't know. All the behind the scenes clips help put a glimpse in the minds of the audience about what it takes to be a major league player, especially one who plays for the Giants.

5. Andres Torres Is a BEAST

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Andres Torres failed to make an impact in the major leagues for the majority of his career, until he suddenly became one of the best leadoff men in baseball last season.

In "The Franchise," Torres is shown working out in his home country of Puerto Rico, and his training regime makes him seem like an animal.

Torres doesn't lift weights, nor does he run on a treadmill. In fact, he works out in his own backyard, in jeans.

One of his activities includes him jumping up a dirt hillside, while clutching onto cement building blocks. After seeing this, it's no wonder why Torres' numbers shot up last season, he's a beast!

4. Brian Wilson Is a Nutcase

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The reason this isn't number is one is because, well, most people knew Brian Wilson was a nutcase way before this show.

For those who didn't have any idea, the first episode shows tons of hilarious clips of Wilson at his best.

One of his best quotes occurs during a photo shoot for MLB. Right in the middle of the shoot, Wilson says, "It smells like eggs in here. Did you fart? Did I fart?"

This quote is classic Wilson, and it just shows how interesting his personality can make him at times.

3. Barry Zito May Be the Most Mellow Player in Baseball

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The debut of "The Franchise" shows Barry Zito in a light that most people probably have never seen before.

Not only is Zito a tremendous guitar player, but he talks about the pressure of living up to the hype that came with his huge contract with the Giants.

Throughout all the interviews, Zito seems overly calm and talks in a way that you wouldn't expect him to unless you are really familiar with him.

2. Everyone Gets Along Really Well

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While this one may seem obvious, there are actually a lot of MLB teams who have internal problems.

The atmosphere in the Giants locker room and clubhouse is unlike any other.

Every single player on the team has their own unique personality, and they all get along so well that the end result is a team who can take on any challenge, and deal with any crisis.

The interaction between players is fantastic to watch.

1. Pablo Sandoval Worked Hard to Lose Weight

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Along with the training of Torres, Pablo Sandoval had to train to lose a ton of weight that he gained during last season.

Not only has Sandoval lost the weight that was required, but he now looks ripped. He trained for hours every day to get in the shape he's currently in, just because of his love for baseball.

His performance off the field has led to better statistics this year on the field, and he deserves all the credit in the world for it.